


14 Days of Summer

by Lettuce_And_Teamwork



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Beach!AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-13
Updated: 2017-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-26 09:31:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6233416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lettuce_And_Teamwork/pseuds/Lettuce_And_Teamwork
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Marinette is a waitress at The Lucky Bug, a bar at a beach resort. Over two weeks, the manager sets up an advertising scheme in order to take advantage of the summer season to get business booming. Enter Nathaniel, Adrien, and Chloe: models who are visiting the beach for two weeks in order to take a bunch of photo shoots for a certain fashion magazine. The hired photographer, both for the magazine and for the advertising, gets the brilliant idea to combine the two in order to kill two birds with one stone. It seems like the start of a romance between a waitress and a model combined with a love triangle-like jealousy.</p>
<p>Oh, if only it were that easy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Start of Summer

**Author's Note:**

> So my friend made this AU when she was inspired by a song and we stayed up all night discussing this. Check out her tumblr at livinglightningbolt. She does AMAZING art and is hella awesome too. She tends to help me with making AUs and fanfic ideas which i am VERY grateful for. Contact her or write down at the comments section if you have something to say about this AU/fic. Don't worry, i haven't given up on the other fic just yet. This entire month's been very hectic and i needed to take a bit of a break from writing things with a very intricate plotline considering Physics and Projects+Trim Exams week molded into one have completely screwed me over. That and procrastination happens a lot. This fic is sort of like my vacation and writing training mixed in one so yeah. i'll start posting the other's chapter as soon as i finish editing it, i promise!
> 
> Then there's the issue of possible summer school and college, i'm practically booked! it's tough here, you know? not to mention, issues concerning my emotional state and stuff. it's probably going to take a while before i post the next chapter from the other fic.
> 
> I think this fic would be very short, maybe around 5-10 chapters? either way, i have a couple of ideas.
> 
> Other than that, yeah, Beach AU. Have fun, i know i have. ;p

"Mari, could you take these to tables 3 and 5 before you go on break?" Alya said, putting a bunch of cocktails on a tray. The atmosphere of The Lucky Bug was pretty dull and a little lazy, considering it was the summer season. There was nothing but songs from the early 2000's playing on the radio and everyone else was enjoying the beach. Just a regular occurrence during the first few days of summer season.

"Sure thing, Alya." Marinette replied, nodding cheerfully before taking the tray and walking over to said tables. She placed down the drinks on said tables before going into the Staff room. She removed the wrapped skirt, a part of the uniform for the Bar, before putting on a light summer dress over her blue bikini. She made the dress, a nice pink one with a streak of white in the middle. The entire thing had brown used for the edges, the ribbon, and the straps. It was fairly simple compared to the ones she would usually design back home. She actually got a part-time job as a seamstress one summer but she quit halfway. It wasn't like she hated to sew, it was just really tiring without a change of scenery. Besides, she didn't want to be cooped up in the house all day; summer was the time for cute swimwear and soaking up the summer sun, she wasn't planning on missing any of that. So instead of helping her parents at the bakery or sewing all day, she decided to help out her Aunt Tikki with managing The Lucky Bug.

It was her Aunt Tikki's pride and joy, next from Marinette's training as a fire dancer. Hell, Marinette loved it here, the place was enchanting. The atmosphere was so peaceful, perfect for generating ideas for her designs. She was actually aiming to get a degree and possibly an internship to become a full-fledged fashion designer but for now, she's perfectly content with the income that Etsy and her jobs give her.

She stuffed the skirt into her bag before zipping it up and heading over to the beach. She sat down under a shady palm tree on a secret place that only a few people know about, took out her sketchbook, and began to let her mind wander. She vaguely remembered something about an advertising ploy set up by the manager and something about a photo shoot later in the evening. She was very curious about the issue but the discussion with the photographer wasn't until 7 in the afternoon and it was only 10 in the morning. She wondered how Tikki must be doing, teaching some of the tourists how to surf with the Assistance of Kim and Alix. The two surfers rarely get along and often end up competing with each other. They probably were a handful but Tikki can manage.

Probably.

Then again, her Aunt's been fire dancing for who knows how long, she could probably handle two rowdy surfers with just one eye closed.

As she finished the design on her sketchbook, she heard people talking. She immediately zipped up her bag and looked around, hiding behind the palm tree's trunk. It was a cute guy and an older man in a suit. She couldn't hear them but she knew that somehow, they were arguing. Then suddenly a blonde dressed up in fashionable clothes came and dragged the blonde boy away from the man. He seemed to be a little irritated by the sudden closeness of the girl but accepted it. While being dragged with surprising ease, the boy happened glanced over at her and she couldn't help but blush slightly and wave before hiding behind the tree completely.

" _Marinette. Holy shit. You cannot be crushing on him right now. You literally just SAW him 5 seconds ago for crying out loud. Besides, He probably has a girlfriend._ " She muttered to herself, leaning against the bark before crumpling slowly to the ground. The guy was cute, though. and frankly, even if he DID have a girlfriend, it would be nice to get to know him and maybe see him again. Marinette buried her face in her hands and screamed internally. " _Why are all the cute people taken?_ " She thought to herself as she regained her composure and returned to sketching. Still, she couldn't stop thinking about what happened today.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Adrien loved the beach.

It probably had something to do with the fact that it's technically a vacation from the indoors with their green screens and spotlights. It probably has something to do with the fact that Chloe distracts herself by sunbathing, downing smoothies, and getting the perfect tan instead of clinging on him possessively. It probably had to do with the wind in his face, the sun on his skin, and the scent of the sea all within his reach. He was enjoying the sun until a shadow loomed over him. He wondered what it could be before he turned around and saw his undercover bodyguard.

" 'Ey kid, you're gonna to turn into a french fry if you keep standing in the open like that. Your daddy dearest's gonna to murder me if you do." Plagg, who was older than him by 10 years, said while sporting a sneer. He was fanning himself with a paper fan and hiding his eyes under a pair of shades. Adrien took one look at his undercover bodyguard's attire and rolled his eyes. "Says the guy who wears suits to the beach." He scoffed, earning a look from said suited bodyguard. In all honesty, his bodyguard didn't look half-bad except for the fact the he was wearing an all-black get up, save for the neon-green tie Plagg's so fond of wearing, during a heatwave. Not to mention, the two points in his hair that won't stay down no matter how many times he would smother it with gel. They made it look like he had cat ears or devil horns.

"You're supposed to be undercover, you know?" Adrien frowned, crossing his arms while leaning to the side. Plagg waved it off with a wave of his hand. "It's stylish. Besides, Ladies like a man in uniform." He replied, staring at the ocean alongside his charge. "Who says so, Your mom?" Adrien asked mockingly, yawning due to the bit of jet lag from the overnight trip. "Heh, Nice. Who taught you that, the internet? an 11-year old?" His bodyguard replied sarcastically, letting out a playful smirk as if he had the upper hand.

"Nope, the same person who thinks that suits are appropriate for the summer season when it's hotter than hell outside."

"...Touche." He heard the bodyguard mutter dejectedly while the sounds of a fan flapping rapidly increased. Adrien felt so smug in that moment and smiled cheekily like he does whenever he feels sneaky, comparatively strange coming from a 19-year old.

"Where's your girlfriend?" Plagg asked, nudging Adrien's shoulder. "Who?" His charge replied, looking absolutely confused. Plagg sighed and cleared his throat.

"You know who I'm talking 'bout, kid. Short, blonde, has an unhealthy obsession with the color yellow-"

"She's not my girlfriend! i mean, i don't know why she keeps telling people that. Seriously! You become friends with a girl and everyone in the vicinity immediately assumes it's romance..." Adrien muttered, absolutely exasperated with the situation he's in. Sure, Chloe was his childhood friend but would it hurt if she would go and find someone else to obsess about aside from himself? it's hard enough to make male friends as it is, with Chloe being overprotective and shooting down any girl who mustered enough courage to at least talk to him, the chances of getting a girlfriend are near impossible. Makes him feel kinda lonely. Then there's the fact that he can't exactly go look for a date online, who knows what could happen? His bodyguard shrugged and put a hand over his shoulder, earning a futile attempt to wrestle it off. "i mean, ya gotta have one soon. you're like what? 18?" Plagg drawled, raising an eyebrow while staring down at the model.

"19." Adrien corrected.

"19. Seriously, kid, you need to get a girl and get laid, not staring at beach babes in bikinis at the beach." Plagg teased, playfully ruffling the model's hair up a bit and annoying said model. Adrien's eyes widened momentarily and he took a deep breath, and sighed in exasperation in order to regain his composure before looking at Plagg with a deathly serious face. "Okay first off, that was some excellent alliteration." He began, admitting the fact that the man did have a way with words. "Why, Thank you, I _do_  try." Plagg interrupted, a proud tone apparent on his reply. Adrien ignored the acknowledgement and moved on.

"Second, I was NOT staring." Adrien replied defensively, a blush creeping onto his cheeks. Maybe he was, maybe he wasn't; Who knew? Certainly not him. "Pfft, sure you weren't, you hormonal teenage mess. The view's practically perfect from here." Plagg snickered, teasingly jabbing Adrien's arm light enough to not leave a bruise. Adrien huffed and did his best to keep calm. "I am an Adult!" He argued through his teeth, fixing his hair by running a hand through it in exasperation while putting on an expression that you usually won't see in a model, much less someone so renown. The bodyguard scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Barely. You still have 2 years before 21, remember? And let's not forget about the obvious daddy issues." He retorted, earning a moan of annoyance from his charge. He almost had to bite back a laugh. This was way more entertaining than guarding some boring politician any day. Besides, he was beginning to enjoy the kid's company. A good 5 years makes you attached to whoever you're supposed to protect, it just does that to you. That and the kid's got an excellent knack for puns and wordplay. He's like Plagg's own apprentice, in a way.

"Ugh, i swear, Plagg, you really do live up to your nickname." Adrien groaned, face-palming as Plagg patted his back in sympathy.

"Speaking of names, your little queen bee's buzzing towards us." Plagg said with a smirk on his features, motioning to his back. Before Adrien could even reply, his arm was under attack by a grip that simply will not let go.

"Adrikins~! there's a surfing competition on the beach, let's watch it!!" Chloe drawled, clutching Adrien and hurriedly dragging him away to the main beach. He turned around to look at Plagg with eyes that seemed to scream 'Help Me' but his gaze ended up on a girl leaning on a palm tree. His face went a little slack. In the few seconds they gazed at each other, he could only stare. The only thought that his mind managed to process was:

" _Wow. She has beautiful blue eyes._ "

The girl waved at him as he was being dragged off but before he could wave back, she hid herself behind the tree. While he stared at the surfers and endured to Chloe's shrill cheers, the only thing he could think about was the mysterious girl who waved at him.

And those eyes that rivaled even the bright azure of the sea and sky.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

"Marinette, try not to be so stiff, You'll end up burning your pants off when we practice using the flaming ones if you keep that up."

Tikki frowned, reprimanding her protege's stance after stopping the music form the radio she carried. They didn't usually use the flaming ones when training and the handmade ones were safer than the metal hammers she often used during performances. Marinette wasn't ready to handle those just yet. In fact, just yesterday they tried it and Marinette burned half of her own pants off. They were her attire for when she performed, which was quite unlucky. The repairs were finished but Tikki left them in her car since they weren't planning on a performance. They both decided to not set anything aflame just yet, anyways. Though, for some emergencies, they always had a bucket in hand just in case something went awry when the practiced with flaming torches or fans. Marinette had absolutely no trouble with the Poi, she was rather excellent at it. Even better than Tikki was when she was Marinette's age.

"I'm sorry, Tikki, I just... I'm sort of distracted at the moment." Marinette sighed, letting the weight drop down on the sand with an audible plop. They've been at it for at least half an hour, her arms were getting sore, and the sun was beating down on them. " _Good thing I always have sunscreen..._ " she thought to herself, wiping the sweat from her forehead.

Tikki was lucky, not really feeling too much of the heat with her naturally darker skin. She also had vitiligo but it didn't deter her from looking amazing. In fact, it probably made her look more stunning. She wore her platinum blonde and red-tipped bob-slash-pixie cut held back with some black hairpins. She wore a red bikini for a top and a pair of black pants. Her ears were adorned with silver piercings, the most notable one was a ladybug-patterned earring right on her earlobe, the first one she got. Marinette made it for her and she never went anywhere without it. She often went barefoot at the beach, not really liking slippers and all. Besides, she was very much used to it considering whenever she danced for entertainment she never wore any shoes. They don't even practice so late in the evening, usually only early in the morning or late at night. The only reason they were having practice during the midday was because important people were visiting and Tikki had to discuss plans so Marinette was stuck as the entertainer for the day.

"It's alright, we all have those days. Start from the beginning?" Tikki suggested, prompting Marinette to straighten her posture and relax. Marinette perked up, remembering something missing from her usual routine. She looked around, not seeing a hint of the residential DJ anywhere. In fact, she couldn't quite recall if Nino came to the bar during early morning like he usually does. He liked to talk with his girlfriend, Alya, when no one else except her, Marinette, and Tikki were around. "Speaking of practice, why is Nino absent? he's usually present whenever I do my choreography. 'Says that it gives him inspiration for his mixing or something like that." She trailed off, swinging the weight around as if she was twirling a very inactive yo-yo.

"Oh! he's talking with his pen pal from Paris." Tikki explained nonchalantly as she took a drink. Marinette motioned her to hand the bottled water over and she complied. Heatstroke was quite common so they both had to keep sufficiently hydrated during the middle of the day. Marinette took a drink and sighed with satisfaction. It wasn't cold but at least it helped her cool off a bit. She'd reward herself with a nice cold drink later. Maybe even a soda. With ice. And a tiny umbrella. She could almost taste it.

"That still exists? i mean, pen pals, not Paris." Marinette asked, sealing the bottle before handing it over to her teacher. "Believe it or not, they met during an Omegle chat. Apparently they liked the same bands and they hit it off quite well from what i heard." Tikki explained, placing the bottle down on the blanket in order to prevent it from getting warmed up by the sand. "Huh. that's nice..." Marinette said, nodding in approval. 

"Still, Marinette, no excuses. Once more, but with more fluidity and control." Tikki ordered in what Marinette liked to call her 'teacher voice', eliciting a slightly annoyed groan as Marinette started to properly twirl the makeshift Meteor Hammer again, making sure to adhere to her instructor's demands.

All in all, it was just another typical day on the job.


	2. Rivalry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! okay, so this took a really long time to update, i'm sorry about that. You can really get drunk off of freedom, lemme tell ya.  
> (0w0)

Marinette was about to rip the notepad that she was holding to shreds. This girl simply would not make up her mind. It was already enough that she had to practice midday but this was kind of pushing it. She would have been snippy but considering the girl flaunted around being a part-time model, it would probably do good if she controlled her temper. Alya would never let her hear the end of that story if she hadn't. Not to mention, it would mean a bad reputation for the bar and she certainly didn't want that to happen. 

"Hm… i think i'l have the-no, too nutty…"

" _You're too nutty…_ " She muttered with closed teeth. The girl heard the last bit and glared up at her with accusing eyes. "I'm sorry, what was that?" The girl asked, raising an eyebrow, prompting Marinette to improvise. "I said today's special is the frozen tutti fruity. The alcoholic kind." She answered, placating the girl. The girl closed the menu and set it down while talking to the waitress.

"Well, why didn't you say so? I'll have one."

" _Well, I already have. 10 Minutes ago…_ " Marinette thought to herself, biting back the sharp insult. "My apologies. Sure thing, ma'am." She humbled herself, bowing down a bit while writing down the girl's order. She turned to face the girl's companion, the boy from the beach earlier. She assumed that he must be a model as well, considering the fact that the two seemed to be very close together. She should probably forget about her chances. " _And yet..._ " She thought to herself as she stared at him while reciting the mandatory customer mantra.

"And what will you have, sir?"

He seemed to be staring at her as well, causing her to blush lightly. The girl from across the table coughed, prompting the man to snap out of it. He then shook his head abruptly, breaking the spell. "Oh uhm, just lemon water please." He coughed, averting his gaze. Marinette looked down at the notepad while jotting the order down. she didn't notice the mean look that the girl was giving her as she wrote.

"Alright. Is there anything else I could get you?" Marinette asked, looking up from the pad. "No. You may leave." The girl dismissed, immediately ignoring her after. Marinette was slightly taken aback and merely leaned to the side, as if she was a little wary of the girl. "Well, what are you waiting for?" The girl asked, shooting her a dirty look before picking up a conversation with the guy. Marinette took this as her cue to leave and head for the bar.

"Ugh, Alya, I dont care if I'm on the job, I need a drink." Marinette said, leaning against the bar's table after reciting the table's order. Alya was mixing a drink in one of the 3 blenders the had on the bar. "One of THOSE customers, eh, Mari?" She asked, sympathy showing on her face. She had a couple of tough customers during the late hours but they were less picky and more demanding. She even had to break up a couple of fights before security intervened. She took a small glass then poured some soda and ice in it before passing it to her best friend like a bartender would.

"A record-breaker. Took me 10 minutes to get their order. Take the soda out of my paycheck..." Marinette replied, sighing as she gratefully took the sugary soda and downing it all in one gulp. "Yeesh. Sorry that we had to call you out during break, business has been booming this time of the day and we need all the help we can get." Alya apologized, fixing up the lemon water. It didn't take much, really. just some water, ice, lemon slices, and a few sprigs of mint. The frozen tutti fruity was basically shaved ice with a multitude of flavorful syrups pre-mixed with alcohol and a cherry on top; really popular during the afternoon since it was way too hot when the sun's setting and it's the perfect time to eat some while viewing the sunset at the beach, it usually happened at around 4.

"It's fine, it's fine. Just wish they would at least let me change into my uniform first, though." Marinette said, looking down at her summer dress and picking at the hems. "Hey, rush hour. Don't worry, you can change soon after." Alya reassured her while placing the two drinks onto the tray and ringing a bell. " _Sure hope so, it feels weird serving with casual clothes on..._ " Marinette thought to herself as she took the tray and walked back to the table where the two customers were seated.

"Here are your orders ma'am, sir. Enjoy." She said, placing down the two drinks, handing the girl's over first. Just as she placed the boy's drink down, she suddenly felt something cold and sticky getting dumped on her. She instinctively recoiled back from the shock of the change in temperature. She stared down at her dress before staring at the person who dealt the damage with a slightly angry face. She felt really angry about the dress. It was something she worked so hard on and it took her ages to get the stitching right.

"What. The hell. Is THIS?!" The girl demanded, thumping the glass down on the table for emphasis. Marinette flinched but managed to stay calm. It happens occasionally, a customer's unhappy and they start acting out. Yet, this was the most terrifying encounter she had. She's had drinks thrown at her or on the floor but they've never had a customer dumping a drink on one of the waitresses. "It's a drink, ma'am." She answered meekly, wiping away the dripping syrup with a napkin from the table.

"This is unacceptable, it tastes like... like something DIED in there. THIS is the best that you have to offer?!" The girl asked, practically raving. "Chloe!" the boy said, trying to restrain the girl from hitting the waitress.

"...if you dislike what our bartender had made, we could replace it with something else."

"Replace it?! no way, that thing was practically toxic! I demand to speak to the manager."

"Chloe please-" The boy pleaded but to no avail.

"I'm the manager, is anything the matter?" Tikki asked, walking into the scene. She put a hand over Marinette's shoulder as a form of comfort, something Marinette was terribly grateful for. "Why yes, your waitress was being very rude and mislead me into buying a drink i didn't like." The girl reasoned, a smug look on her face. Tikki raised an eyebrow and faced Marinette in order to get the full truth.

"Is that true, Marinette?"

"No, Ma'am. I merely recommended her the special when she couldn't decide." Marinette answered honestly, head slowly bowing down in embarrassment at her sorry state. "...Why are you sticky?" Tikki asked, concerned about her niece and staff. "She dumped her drink at me when she was displeased with it, Ma'am." Marinette replied, voice beginning to waver. Tikki seemed to pick up on her upset tone and gave her final statement.

"Thank you, you are dismissed for the day. Go fix yourself up."

Once she reached the staff room, Marinette crumpled down against the door and let out a quiet sob. " _So much for crushing on a seemingly decent boy..._ " She thought to herself while she dried her eyes on the parts of her dress that the drink wasn't able to soak. She decided to head back home and fix herself up before her performance in the evening. She had a couple of hours to burn, anyway.

Besides, nothing beats crying in the shower when you're this upset, after all.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Adrien noticed that the waitress hurriedly ran to the staff's break-room, trying hard not to cry in front of so many people. Boy, did he feel like a dick right now. He knew Chloe could be extremely picky and maybe a little bossy but he didn't know she would fly off the handle like that. He probably should've known, this was Chloe after all. She would often throw tantrums whenever she didn't get what she wanted way back when they were 7. He almost didn't pay attention to the argument across the table.

Almost. The gaze that the manager was shooting at them was very hard to miss.

"i'll have you know that despite being a model, i do not tolerate people being ah... rude to my staff." The manager said in an icy-cold tone, contrasting her fiery gaze. "Whatever, you could always just hire somebody else, can't you?" Chloe retorted snobbishly, Adrien fought the urge to facepalm. There a few tense moments of silence that were broken by the manager's final decision.

"...I want you off of my establishment. Right now. This instant." The manager ordered. Chloe looked flabbergasted; she wasn't used to being denied, after all. "Wh-Bu-You can't do this to me! I'm a CUSTOMER!" She complained, causing a couple of the guards to look their way. He had to do something, otherwise she'll be hurt. He grabbed her arm, redirecting her look towards him. "Chloe, just let it go. Let's just leave, okay?" He pleaded, motioning to the outside. Chloe merely ignored him and continued to glare at the manager defiantly. The manager was having none of that today, it seems.

"I'm giving the both of you three seconds. Don't make me call security."

 

"3..."

 

"2..."

 

"1..."

 

"What the hell, Chloe?" He asked her after they got kicked out of the bar. They were walking along the empty side of beach, careful to mind the growing tide due to the upcoming full moon tonight. Rather, it wasn't walking much as Chloe was walking a few feet in front of Adrien and he was trying to catch up. Chloe turned around to face him. "What? You think I was wrong? The thing tasted like trash." She scoffed in a haughty tone, stopping in her tracks. He stopped in his tracks as well, wanting to keep his distance.

"You didn't have to be so mean to the girl, she was only doing her job!"

"Well, i can get mad at whoever the hell I want to. Newsflash! I'm rich. Whatever I want, I get." Chloe yelled back, motioning to herself while her perfectly sculpted eyebrows were scrunched up in anger. "This isn't Paris, Chloe. You cant just be mean to people left and right! Don't think I didn't see you glare at the waitress when I was talking to her or when you dumped that drink without even tasting it." He replied, in a similar frown. "Oh yeah? W-well, don't think i didn't catch you and her doing goo-goo eyes at each other!" She replied, stuttering a little. She knew it wasn't the perfect excuse but she could always weasel her way out of it.

"Chloe, what the hell is your problem?! why do you always do this when i meet other people, especially girls?! Why do you have to be so damn possessive?" He groaned, kicking the sand in frustration. "Possessive?! i'm just making sure that they know you're mine!" He heard her reply.

Oh, that was the last straw.

"I belong to no one, Chloe. not the company's, not my dad's, and certainly not yours!" He practically screamed while snapping back at her, both slightly taken aback by the quality of his voice.  It was the first time he yelled that loud. It was nice to finally let it all out but the feeling of relief was replaced by one of guilt when he saw the disbelief on her face.

There were a few moments of tense silence, backed up by the distant crashing of waves.

"Are...you're breaking up with me?" His childhood friend asked, tears slowly starting to form in her eyes. Adrien felt sorry for her but he knew that he had to say it at least one point in time. "Chloe. How many times do i have to tell it to you, there was never an us! Stop lying to people. I'm so tired of this. ALL of this..." He gulped, motioning to the current condition of their friendship while fighting back the tears that wanted to come down. This was painful, Chloe was the only friend he's had other than Nino and Plagg. Sure, she was mean and spiteful but she was still his childhood friend. He couldn't bear hearing another word.

Why did he always have such rotten luck?

"But Ad-"

"Enough, I don't want to hear it, Chloe. Save it for the press." He replied, turning away from her and walking back to the bar. He knew Chloe wouldn't apologize or pay for whatever she did, so it was up to him to make things right.

First off, to pay for the drinks.

Secondly, to apologize to the manager.

Lastly, he needed to find that girl and explain everything.

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Chloe felt devastated, crumpled up on the hot sand with tears streaming down her cheeks. Who would've thought that something as simple as a break-up could make her feel like this. Despite that, she knew deep down that she probably deserved it. She stood up, walked away from the vicinity, and dried her tears. After all, it wasn't the time to sit down and cry. She had a rival now. A rival in the battlefield called love. She never liked to lose, and this is one battle wherein she can't afford to.

In the end, she always gets what she wants. Be it toys, dresses, food, or anything else.

Always.

No matter what it would take.


	3. Second Meeting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been so long, hasn't it? Let's just say i've been very preoccupied catching up to two certain fandoms and my college curriculum. It's so strange to write Miraculous! fanfic after being immersed in books and ages of writing poems/orig fic.
> 
> Please enjoy! comments and criticisms are always welcome.

Plagg was enjoying the complimentary Tomato and Feta Cheese Skewers, minus the Tomatoes. He usually went for Camembert but they were only included in full meals, sadly. It was the afternoon and they were supposed to be meeting with the photographer for the photoshoot at around 7, dinner could wait. Besides, they were sharing a room in the hotel. He'd never hear the end of it if Adrien started to complain about the smell of cheese on his clothes. It was great being a bodyguard. He was very much relaxed.

At least, he was relaxed before Adrien walked in, looking ragged and worn-down.

"Hey kid, why the long face?" Plagg asked as his charge flopped down on the 5-star hotel's bed face-first. He could hear muffled screaming coming from the body. Whatever happened, it probably wasn't good. He's seen that action many, many times; usually when his charge is upset about grades or family issues. Plagg put down the last toothpick and hunched over as the screaming slowly subsided. He hunched over, placed both his arms on his knees, and leaned on his left hand while letting out a sigh. "You finished wailing yet?" He asked, staring at the messy mop of yellow hair which began to shake itself up and down hesitantly.

Adrien turned his head over to the side where Plagg was sitting. He stared up at his bodyguard with tired eyes, red and puffy from crying. His father would probably be pissed or at least horrified with his current appearance. Plagg fought the urge to cringe at Adrien's condition.

"What do you want, Plagg?" Adrien asked, voice harsh and raspy. Plagg winced at how horrible he sounded. Adrien wasn't usually like this so logically, something terrible must have occurred. "Yeesh. You look terrible. What happened?" Plagg asked, voice softening slightly in understanding and maybe pity. Adrien looked away and focused his eyes on the clean white duvet. "I don't want to talk about it..." He heard Adrien mutter softly. He scoffed at how typically angst-y his charge sounded.

"Really, kid? That doesn't work on me. Spill." He practically demanded, still using that soft tone of his.

A few minutes of silence passed by and he was beginning to think he acted wrongly. He was about to apologize before hearing Adrien clear his throat.

"...I had a fight. With a friend." Adrien replied, clinging onto the sheets like they were his lifeline. "You had a fight? is it Chloe?" Plagg asked softly, trying not to let his curiosity show.

"Yes."

" _Called it._ " Plagg thought to himself. He knew the girl had it coming, considering he knew she was the one spreading rumors. In his defense, he was using Adrien's computer for certain purposes and she always leaves her Facebook account out in the open. He was more surprised, however, by Adrien's guts and how long it took him to snap. The kid was a cinnamon roll, too good for this world. That kind of patience was almost saintly.

"Mind telling me what it was about?" Plagg asked, trying not to sound like a gossipy aunt. "She was being mean to a waitress and i kind of... lost control?" He heard Adrien explain, a slight twinge in his charge's voice. "Wow. That helps a lot." Plagg said flatly, taking a quick sip of water. "Ugh, I don't want to think about it, it's too horrible." Adrien groaned before returning to burying himself into the thick covers of the bed. Plagg was having none of that. " 'Sooner you face the fact, the sooner can find a solution, and the sooner you can get over it." He stated casually as Adrien squirmed for a bit, clearly uncomfortable, before sighing in defeat. Adrien turned around and sat up before facing Plagg with a defeated expression.

"I hate it when you're right."

"Come on, you want a hug?" Plagg asked, standing up and spreading his arms. Adrien looked at him like he lost his mind. "Well, kid? this is a once-in-a-lifetime offer you're missing out on." He teased slightly, tilting his head while wearing his signature smirk. Adrien shook his head and chuckled softly before standing up to accept the hug. Plagg made sure not to crush the boy with his supposedly iron grip as they hugged each other. They held that position as the minutes ticked by; Adrien clinging onto his bodyguard like his life depended on it while said bodyguard petted his blond hair as a form of comfort and affection, which he was absolutely grateful for. He really needed this, he had to admit.

"Feeling better?" Plagg asked, looking down at his charge. He heard him mutter a reply. It was either " _I'm feeling better now, thanks._ " or " _Why do you smell like cheese?_ ". The nod tipped him off that it probably wasn't the latter. They both supposed it was probably about time to break away from the hug and did so. They both sat down where they were before, Adrien had his hands supporting his head while he leaned on his elbows.

"i just... where do i start?" Adrien wondered out loud, staring at Plagg. "How about the beginning?" Plagg suggested a little sarcastically but well-meaning. Adrien rolled his eyes and began to trace back to earlier. "Well, it's a long story..." He trailed off, absentmindedly looking around for a clock.

"We've got time." Plagg replied, hiking up his sleeve to read the watch around his wrist.

"Around 2 hours, in fact."

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Marinette finally finished getting all the sticky syrups out of her hair and was beginning to blow-dry it. She was staying in Tikki's house, considering that it was closer to the beach than her own apartment. She really wanted to have a fresh change as quickly as she could. Not to mention, her costume was still with Tikki and she needed to change quickly for tonight's performance. As the loud hum of the hairdryer droned on, she got around to thinking about tonight's performance. Still, the humiliation from earlier still lingered.

"O _h come on Marinette, you're not giving up just like that just because a customer dumped a dessert on you, are you?_ " She thought to herself while she fluffed her drying hair. She deemed it dry enough when she could still feel the heat radiating from her dark hair. She took the nearest brush and began to comb it in order to stop her hair from looking like a hurricane just passed through. She heard her cellphone ring with the specific ringtone she set for Tikki's calls. Her hand wandered to the bag on the dresser, taking the phone and answering quickly before the call was dropped.

 "You called, Tikki?" She answered, using her shoulder to hold the phone as she carefully brushed the other side of her hair. "Are you doing okay? Where are you?" She heard the worried voice of her Aunt-slash-Boss. It was nice hearing the concern, it was exactly what she needed to hear. "I'm at your house, currently combing my hair." She replied coolly, taking the phone off her shoulder as she began to comb her bangs. There were a few seconds of silence before Tikki broke it.

"...Are you alright?"

"i'm fine." She answered truthfully albeit too curtly.

"Are you sure?"

"it's fine, Auntie. i can... i can handle this. Nothing a good shower can't fix, as you always say." She replied, a slight jest to her voice.

"Actually, i said Chocolate Chip cookies and milk but a shower's good, too. There's actually some in the fridge if you want any." Tikki offered, probably smiling at the other side of the line. Marinette sighed contentedly at the thought.

"Thanks, Tikki. You're the best."

"I'm so sorry i can't be there with you, meeting and all."

"It's alright, Tikki. Question is, how are you?"

"Oh, still alive. I discussed a couple of things with the photographer, apparently he's got another project and he's making me meet the rest of the crew for a discussion at the Lovebug. Thanks for taking my shift, by the way."

"It's nothing. Not like I haven't done it before. Remember the first time I performed onstage?" Marinette asked, chuckling at the memory. It felt like so long ago. Back when she was just 13 and had a bit of stage fright. Okay, scratch that: it was a lot of stage fright. she got better at it, though.

"I do. You almost burned the roof off..." Tikki recalled fondly, giggling a bit from the other side of the line. "I'll be there by around 7:45." Marinette answered, putting the comb down. She went for a pair of red ribbons in order to tie her hair, like she always did when she took on her stage persona. Her red and black earrings were sitting right next to the hair-ties from earlier. "Your costume's in the changing room, so's the makeup. You're wearing the mask tonight, aren't you?" Tikki asked while the crashing of the waves could be heard. She was most likely on her way to meet the photographer.

"Yeah, i will be. Talk to you later, I love you!"

"I love you too!"

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

After a very awkward meeting with the manager of the establishment for the meeting, Adrien Agreste was sitting next to Chloe and Plagg while under the supervision of a guard. He swore that the guard would shoot him a couple of mildly annoyed looks while he tried to eat. Nathaniel and Sabrina were trying to strike up a conversation with each other, albeit a little awkwardly. The manager and the photographer, however, were having an otherwise pleasant conversation.

"So, a little bird told me that there would be some sort of entertainment this night. Any hints as to what?" The photographer asked the manager, holding her hand between both of his. She giggled and looked away bashfully.

"Well... let's just say that tonight's entertainment is a rare treat." The manager, Tikki as she was called, replied with a wink.

Adrien turned around and looked at Plagg, who was currently staring at the manager while absentmindedly eating his food. His gaze shifted to Chloe, who was picking at her food like she wasn't hungry or like she was deep in thought. She looked up and met his gaze, both immediately darting away from holding the uncomfortable stare. It was strange to be so silent during a dinner, usually they were asked to talk a lot.

So there they sat, eating in silence while observing the nice bar. The music ranged from downbeat pop music to acoustic versions of popular songs. It was relaxing, he decided as he took a sip of his drink. He slowly began to unwind.

At least, until the lights in the bar began to dim and the sounds of a slow 1-2-1-2 beat began to blast on the speakers, courtesy of Nino. He heard some patrons clap and cheer, a couple of wolf-whistles as well, while some of the newcomers, like him, stared around in confusion.

"What's happening?" He asked in a slight panic, looking at the manager. She seemed to not hold a grudge against him anymore, if she did it wasn't quite visible. "This, my dear boy, is the entertainment." She answered, eyes glued to the stage on the beach. If he looked closer, he would say that her eyes glowed with pride.

He looked at the stage and could barely see anything besides from a stage being illuminated by four torches. The stage was shaped like a circle, elevated slightly from the white sand. He guessed that it was so that whoever would be performing wouldn't have to step on anything sharp or slip on the sand. The torches were probably so that the audience can see the performance.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your DJ speaking, may I present to you our entertainment for today." He heard Nino speak, addressing the entire crowd.

"The Miraculous, Ladybug!" Nino announced as there was polite yet excited clapping from the patrons. Adrien could hear the beat ebb away as the only sound he could hear was the sound of fire crackling and the crashing waves of the sea.

A figure stepped up to stage barefoot, wearing a red and black mask while holding a pair of two balls on strings: Poi, he was sure it was called. She had her black hair tied into two low pigtails using a pair of red ribbons. She also wore a pair of black pants and a red top with spaghetti straps. The costume fits, seeing as it wasn't so loose that it might hinder the performance by accident but it wasn't too restricting that she couldn't move either.

What caught his interest, however, was the pair of bright eyes that had a confident and determined shine to them. 

A pair of eyes that he swore he saw before.


	4. Fire Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys!! okay so i know this took way WAY too long... in my defense, college was hell and i had a lot of catching up to do concerning multiple series. This has been in my draft for AGES.
> 
> The song i chose was Hypnotic by Zella Day. As for why i chose it was because it was stuck in my head for so long and it had a rhythm i can work with. That and the lyrics were somewhat meaningful for the scene i had in mind.
> 
> Any advice regarding writing about Poi Dancing would be very much welcome. I feel as if i haven't done a good job with describing Marinette's dancing despite taking around 3 months or so to write.
> 
> Please enjoy this chapter!

Marinette took a deep breath as the applause of the audience matched the beating of her heart.

 

She was prepared for this. She practiced relentlessly for the past three days. She knew the choreography by hand. She memorized it so much that when she fell asleep, fire-dancing was the only thing left in her mind. She knew what she was going to do and how to improvise if she ever needed to. She's done this before, ever since she was thirteen. She had this completely in the bag.

 

So why does she still feel that rush of nervous energy whenever she steps on stage?

 

She shook her head slightly as she focused on lighting the two Poi on fire.

 

The familiar metal rings on her hands were very much welcome. There was a nice sense of comfort in the way they weighed perfectly and the way they felt both cold and warm at the same time. The balls on the end were soaked with alcohol to ensure that it didn't burn the ropes. All in all, it was a pretty standard pair of poi but it was hers.

 

She noted that the wind was cooperating with her performance at least, being relatively calm but still breezy. The flames danced but didn't go out or die. The full moon was shining down on the beach while the flames lit her up in a mix of yellow and red.

 

Tonight was magical, she could feel it in the air.

 

Once she decided that they were properly set aflame did she start walking over to center stage. She gave both poi an experimental spin as she did so, making it look like a casual gesture. She stopped once she reached the center and turned her back on the audience, crossing her arms and letting both poi hang from her hands.

 

She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and focused as Nino began to talk about the show, the familiar 1-2-1-2 beat returning in the background. 

 

On stage, she wasn't Marinette with her clumsy and insecure stature. She was Ladybug, a confident and mature woman who knew exactly how to amuse with the flames hanging from her hands. Who knew how to dance using poi and make it look easy. Who knew that the crowd needed to be entertained.

 

And entertain, she will.

 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

Adrien stared at the stage, fixated by the seemingly casual way the girl lit both of the poi on fire.

 

“Is that safe?” He asked, leaning towards Plagg while keeping his eyes on what's happening in front of him. His bodyguard shrugged and jerked his head towards the manager. Fortunately, she wasn't as mad as earlier and bothered to make small talk while Nino talked about the entertainment.

 

“She's never had an accident on-stage before, she'll be fine.” The manager, Tikki he soon learned from hearing Plagg cough discreetly while he stared at the bodyguard in slight panic, handwaved as she took a sip of water. Her eyebrows were creased slightly, however. Before he could ask, someone else called his attention.

 

“Never been to a fire show before?” The guard asked, the first thing he said since starting dinner.

 

“Not really.” He replied politely, taking a sip of his water.

 

His father never really let him stay for entertainment unless they were in the theater or the opera or if they just happened to stumble across something interesting or inspiring. Even then, he was never really too interested if he were to be honest. He liked magic shows, however, because of how they relevant they were to his interest in physics.

 

“I'm usually too busy to watch this kind of thing.” He added in order to clarify why he had never watched something like tonight's entertainment.

 

“You're in luck, then. Our Lady's one of the best.” The guard sitting beside him muttered, returning to looking at the stage.

 

“Our song for today's performance is Hypnotic by Zella Day. Without further ado, please enjoy the show.” Nino said as he signed off. The beat was still there but it was more in preparation rather than background.

 

Ladybug slowly turned around in order to face the audience, careful not to disturb the poi hanging on her hands too much. She had her eyes closed in concentration as her brow furrowed in concentration. Peaceful but in-control is how he would put it.

 

There was something strangely fitting about the scene in front of his eyes that Adrien couldn't quite place. Maybe it was how relaxed she seemed in the limelight, like she was exactly where she was meant to be. Maybe it was in the way the flames flickered in the dark. Maybe it was because of the roaring waves providing a soothing rhythm to everyone involved.

 

Either way, he was sure he would never be able to forget this moment.

 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

Marinette opened her eyes as soon as she heard the warning beat, distinct but unrecognizable to anyone who hasn't been playing close attention.

 

She turned to look at the poi on her left side as soon as the music began to play, arching it over as she moved it carefully in time to the music. She left it about half an arm's length away from herself before facing the other one and doing the same. She moved her left foot and then her right foot, both in an equal circular motion and at a medium pace, while keeping the poi in equilibrium as the music began to pick up.

 

_‘Wanna be on the front line, knotted up suit tie, talking like a headstrong mama.’_

 

She held up her arms and spun them as she bent herself towards the ground. The poi spun gracefully in a column as she did so. She stopped them just before they hit each other and swung them back up, around head-level, before spinning them in circles.

 

_‘Got my picture in your wallet, making me a habit, wearing your vintage t-shirts.’_

 

She continued to spin both in circles before stopping them when they almost touched each other. She then spun the both of them a few times until they were an arms-length away from her.

 

_‘Tying ribbons on your top hat, telling me that I'm all that just like the girls from your home town.’_

 

She spun both of them beside her, maneuvering the strings so that they didn't bump her head when she moved her arms. She sucked in a breath of air as one of them almost nicked her hair. She breathed out once she realized that that wasn't the case.

 

_‘Sweet-blooded and i'm stranded, see if i could stand it, sinking in the shallow waters ’_

 

She spun one of them behind her and the other in front. She moved her arms towards each other in an effort to introduce both of her hands together so she could spin both of them in a big circle. It went off without a hitch.

 

_‘Magnetic everything about you’_

 

The smell of saltwater and smoke filled her lungs as she continued to do tricks with the ropes swinging from her arms. Lemniscates, Circles, Four-petaled flowers, Columns, and a lot more.

 

" _Don't think. Feel._ " Aunt Tikki's advice rang inside her head.

 

_‘You really got me’_

 

It felt like she was in a trance; nobody but her, the stage, the moon, and the sea were watching. Maybe it was better if she thought of it that way.

 

** _‘Now.’_ **

 

 

This was her element. There was nothing that could go wrong.

 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

_‘You do it to me so well’_

 

Streaks of orange flames spun into a lemniscate.

 

_‘Hypnotic, taking over me.’_

 

The silhouette of a dancer as the skies parted.

 

_‘Make me feel like someone else’_

 

Serenity and beauty grace the stage, like the silver light of the moon.

 

_‘You've got me talking in my sleep’_

 

A flick of her wrists.

 

_‘I don't want to come back down’_

 

A swing of her hips.

 

_‘I don't want to touch the ground’_

 

A toss of her head.

 

_‘Pacific Ocean dug so Deep’_

 

Ladybug; A name that fits spring, flowers, and luck, dancing among tiny suns that are held in the palm of her hand.

 

** _‘Hypnotic, taking over me’_ **

 

Adrien couldn't help thinking “ _Fuck. Me too._ ” as he continued to stare in awe.

 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

It was like clockwork, the way she knew each and every movement.

 

_‘White drugs on my laces, stuck on the hinges, swinging the door to the backyard’_

 

Let the poi spin lazily into circles.

 

Flick your wrists to create two lemniscates, move your left foot in a half-circle, lean to the right, and turn around.

 

_‘Got spinners walking tight ropes, spun like a bandage, a touch on the outer surface’_

 

Mirror the motion from earlier.

 

Face the audience, bend back as you spin both in front of you to ease them before turning to the side.

 

_‘Bright eyes of the solstice, wherever your mind is, headed for a freight-train city’_

 

Kneel on one of your knees, bring the poi together to create a small ring of fire, ignore the gasps from the audience as you alternate slowly moving them in front and behind you.

 

_‘Locked up til you're moon-lit, brushing my hair back, feeling your lips on my cold neck’_

 

Stand up and bring the poi apart, spin them a bit, notice that the wind picks up slightly.

 

Let the music take over you as the pre-chorus starts up.

 

-*-*-*-*-*-*-

 

It all went by so fast and yet, so slow.

 

Tikki practically beamed with pride at her prodigy's dancing. She always knew that Marinette was a natural with the poi but she never expected her niece to perform on-stage so flawlessly. 

 

Her niece often had a bad case of stage fright and it genuinely made Mari worried enough to attempt to stay away from poi. That was when she suggested putting on a mask; a stage persona like she herself had whenever she performed for the Lovebug, an old trick she learned from her own teacher. However, she didn't mean it literally but the red and black polka-dotted mask helped her niece get over it so she really couldn't complain.

 

Over time, some of her other trainees ended up adopting the coping method. It was actually quite endearing in a way. Lila used a kitsune mask to stand out from the three while Alya used a fox mask when she decided to cover for Mari. They both argued about who gets to use the name Volpina and in the end, they both settled on a truce. Nino was still a beginner but he took a liking to a turtle-themed mask, the very same that her own teacher wore.

 

She smiled and sipped on her iced tea.

 

This night's finale was the happy ending it needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As i've said earlier, any advice regarding writing about Poi Dancing would be very much welcome. Writing critiques are also very very welcome.
> 
> It might take a few months or so before i upload another chapter. This is mostly because I'm attempting to recall whatever i had planned before my old phone got deleted along with my writing files. Aside form that, i have another side-project going on as well as the fact that College is still difficult.


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